Entrepreneur Chef Extraordinaire
Entrepreneur
Chef Extraordinaire
Sanjeev Kapoor is definitely the most recognisable Indian chef. Khana Khazana has been a treasure chest which, once opened, just overflowed. Today he is a rockstar in the culinary firmament and an inspiration to many young aspiring chefs
Text & Photographs: Farzana Contractor
Just where do I begin to tell you about Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s story? And what do I tell you that you don’t already know? I wonder how Sanjeev himself feels about being a culinary icon on a world stage, the global phenomenon that he is. To find out, I met up with him at Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach. Over an excellent Chinese meal at Sampan where another icon Chef Pempa rules, we got talking. But for Alyona, Sanjeev’s wife and indispensable aid, I might not have learnt all that he did, for believe it or not, Sanjeev does not crow about himself.
For some reason, even as we sat down, we started talking about sports, since all three of us are greatly inclined towards it. Alyona being a national champion at basketball and yours truly, having represented Indian Railways at hockey and basketball for years, at innumerable national championships. I did show off that I was also the winner of the downhill race at the first ever National Ski Championship in Gulmarg held in 1980 and that I was among the very few Indian women who skied down from Gulmarg to Tanmarg in metres-deep soft snow.
That impressed Sanjeev, who said, “You know, I do believe sports is what makes you. I love to hire people who have practised sports at a serious level. They are disciplined, they understand different aspects and nuances of life, they work hard and are especially good where teamwork is concerned.” I couldn’t agree more.
Sanjeev also likes to deal with people who have a sense of humour and can laugh at themselves. “That’s because Sanjeev himself has this terrific sense of humour, his comic timing is amazing!” informs Alyona. I must confess that that is something about Sanjeev that I didn’t really know. The chef enlightens, “Yes, I do have the ability to think on my feet, repartees just come to my mind with ease. You know Sabbas Joseph of Wizcraft always told me I would be great as a host for live shows like the Miss India contests or some such interactive events. Except, you know, times have changed and these days you have to think twice before you crack a joke, you have to be politically correct or else a charge could be made that you are insensitive, that you indulged in body-shaming, that you hurt someone’s sentiment, even a comment like, ‘kitna mota dikhta hai yaar’ or ‘kaise haathi ke tarah chalta hai’ could be misconstrued. Animal lovers could even jump into the fray for such an innocuous comment. The fun is lost a bit, yet, I am fine. I thrive on humour, it’s what keeps me going.”
And the going has been good. In all aspects.
Right from the time Sanjeev started as a cub chef in the ‘80s. But let’s hear it from the man himself. “Oh God, seems so long ago...Yes, I started in 1984 with ITDC. Those days that’s where we all wanted to be. From the top 10, in my batch at PUSA (Institute of Hotel Management in Delhi), 9 went to ITDC, like Puneet Chhatwal who is now a hotshot at the Taj, and my friend till today, was one of them. It was not a cakewalk, we had to work really hard. Like on one occasion in 1989 I was in charge of the Kumbh Mela. Not an easy assignment, setting up hospitality for a few lakhs of devotees on the banks of the Ganges. The infrastructure then was not what it is now. We had to think out of the box to make things work.”
His learning ground at ITDC also included a two-year stint in New Zealand. After which he quit ITDC to join Centaur Hotel as their youngest ever executive chef, where he remained from ’92 until ’97. But once he quit Centaur, it was to be his own boss and do the things he was yearning to do. Decision taken, he set himself on a course never to look back. His life was on a roll. TV shows, books, cookery demos all over India, food festivals all over the world, launching his own restaurants in India and abroad, his own TV channel, and a cookware line to boot.
But before we get into those details allow me to go off on a tangent and let you know that in between the two career phases, ITDC and Centaur, the best ‘event’ of the chef’s life took place. He got married. As it happened when he was handing over charge of the ITDC hotel in Benares to a colleague, Jyotsna, he happened to notice the sister who was accompanying her. Before he knew it he was in love with the sister, Alyona! “Yes, it was quick! All I was asked to do by my colleague, Alyona’s elder sister, was show her around the city. ‘Zara Benaras ghooma ke le aao,’” laughs Sanjeev and reminisces, “To this day I am ‘ghoomaoing’ her; now around the world! But I must tell you it was just after meeting her, I was shunted off to New Zealand, and it became a long-distance romance. Every month my entire salary went in paying for those long trunk calls!”
Well, Alyona proved to be an asset, as wife and manager! Two daughters and 200 cookbooks later she still helps in his production company with the same vigour and enthusiasm as 33 years ago. Bless her.
As for Sanjeev, he has moved ahead leaps and bounds, from being a simple chef to a mercurial entrepreneur. His energy and thirst to innovate, do this, do that, put his finger in every pie is remarkable. You’ve heard of that Jack of all Trades… Well, Sanjeev is the Jack and Master of every trade. He has got the Midas touch, whatever he touches, turns to gold.
Sanjeev was the first chef to launch his own channel FoodFood. He has done exceptionally well where television is concerned and is among the most cherished faces on TV. A total pro in front of the camera, he comes alive on the screen. From Zee TV’s Khana Khazana which was his launchpad, he went on to serve as the Chief Judge and host for Sanjeev Kapoor ke Kitchen Khiladi on Sony Entertainment. He has also been on the panel of judges for MasterChef India, seasons 3 and 4. In addition, he ranked 34th in the Forbes List of Top 100 Indian Celebrities, has figured in the Reader’s Digest list of 100 of India’s Most Trusted People, and has been awarded the prestigious Padma Shri Award in 2017 – India’s respected civilian award. His popularity and contribution to Indian cuisine has been recognised by the Government of India, too, who conferred on him the national award of Best Chef of India. If all this is not enough, read on... Sanjeev is on the board of the Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel for the past 19 years along with the brightest names from the culinary world across the culinary capitals. It is he who is responsible for the Indian food in flight. Is it any wonder then that his life story was featured on Star World as part of the exclusive series titled Achievers Club or that he was one of the seven chefs in the world with a case study published on him by Harvard Business School.
Khana Khazana is where it all began, in the ‘90s. This was the turning point when he was busy charming his way into the hearts and kitchens of every household in India. Sanjeev captured the imagination of millions of people like no other. Women and men and children. Even grandmothers! Certainly every novice cook. Food means everything to Indians, be it at birthdays, weddings, festivals, or even funerals, and Sanjeev was the best cookery host they had ever seen. The show ran for 17 marathon years. With his ever-smiling face, easy demeanour, cheerful commentary and simple instructions that make the most seemingly tricky dishes look easy to prepare, Sanjeev did and does have everyone eating out of his hand, literally and figuratively.
He truly has the gift of the gab, too. I remember ages ago when he came to give a cookery demo at our 1st UpperCrust Food Show (2003) at the World Trade Centre, he was a riot. But the point is he spent the first 40 minutes of the one hour allotted, just smiling and talking to an enraptured audience. When I, worried as hell, prodded him, “When are you going to start cooking?” pointing to my wristwatch, he merely looked at me and smiled some more. But cook he did, nice and easy, within the hour. That’s how he is: calm, unhurried, in control.
Perhaps it’s this trait which has got him on to such a successful career path. Sanjeev Kapoor applies himself. To the job at hand, as well as to future projects. He doesn’t just dream and aspire, he works at it. He believes in giving 100% to the job at hand. His entrepreneurial spirit is hard to beat and it is evident in everything he does. The diversity is rather mind-boggling. A range of culinary endeavours from restaurants and catering services to food products and kitchen appliances.
His curious mind takes him along beautifully. For example, it’s because he is a gadget freak that Sanjeev channelled his love for technology to create Wonderchef, along with partner, Ravi Saxena. A line of cookware and kitchen appliances that brought about a revolution to the Indian kitchen through its innovative products; electric tandoor, mixer grinder, speciality cookers, coffee makers, air fryers, chimneys, a range of cookware to boot.
In addition to Wonderchef, he is also the co-founder of TinyChef, a company working on culinary AI and ML. Artificial Intelligence which has gripped the world recently has been his forte for years, he is a Master of AI, totally involved and truly passionate about it. “Look, you have to go with the flow, put technology to its best use. My TinyChef endeavour powers recipes on search engines like Alexa and Siri, 1000s of them. As for Chef Magic, our newest product, it literally cooks for you. You just have to select a recipe, toss in the ingredients following the commands, and it auto cooks the dish for you.”
Well, Sanjeev, a Giant Wonder Chef has cooked for many dignitaries, including the Honourable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He even achieved a Guinness World Record which the PM witnessed, by cooking 918 kgs of khichdi live, at World Food India 2017, in Delhi. There is a unique story to that, too. As it happens, just 48 hours before the event was to start, with all preparations leading to the mammoth task completed, a bombshell was dropped. No fire could be lit where the Prime Minister was scheduled to arrive! Security! Then how does one cook this vast quantity of khichdi in that large stainless steel vat where even the burner was already installed under the vessel? Fear not, Sanjeev has put on his thinking toque! He came up with an ingenious idea… they would cook it using steam, which would be created and piped from a distance of almost half a kilometre away, in the India Gate area, since that was the specification related to the PM’s security. ‘Modi’fications complete, the khichdi was cooked and distributed and eaten – as per the Guinness guidelines and requirements. All boxes ticked Sanjeev Kapoor got his Guinness tag of being the chef who cooked the Largest Serving of Rice and Beans. So what does one have to say to his ‘never-say-die’ spirit? All Sanjeev has to say, very coolly, too, is, “Oh ya, yeh sab to hote rehta hai, you have to adapt to all situations.”
To be honest I am quite at my wit’s end where Sanjeev and time management is concerned. How does he do it? In the days we were chatting, leading up to this interview, say about 10 days, he was first in Melbourne, back in Bombay, then in Doha and then in Calcutta. Alyona, who also smiles a lot, informs me that in the previous month he had been on 27 flights! Should we then give him the adage of The Flying Chef? “What to do, I have no choice,” says Sanjeev, adding, “I always have a reason to fly somewhere, meaning work related. Very rarely do I or we just board a flight for a holiday.” To which Alyona quips, “But thankfully we soon will! We are actually scheduled to go to The Maldives, and to be honest, I am so excited. It’s our first time there.” Way to go. A well-earned holiday is always extra special.
So what was Sanjeev doing in Melbourne? Well, he is about to launch a food line there. With a little bit of help from Coles, the largest supermarket in the region with 800 outlets. Yup, you read right, that’s 800! There are 15 SKUs in five ranges; sauce, marinade, curry paste, pickle and khichdi. Do the math, the statistics are baffling. The khichdi, by the way, is being positioned as a high protein risotto, Indian style. Talk about innovation and apt marketing. Sanjeev does know his onions!
And why was he in Calcutta? That comes under his ‘giving back to the world that gave him so much’. He was there, as he is every year, to be present at the Young Chef Olympiad where culinary students gather from around 60 countries to compete on a platform that brings people together through food. Young chefs put their best toque forward in shaping a better future through sustainability in cooking. It began in 2015 in Calcutta and has been playing host ever since, to budding culinary talent.
Sanjeev is there to encourage them. Much as he is a mentor to many established chefs, too, who look to him for guidance with respect and admiration. Chef Ranveer Brar is one who immediately comes to mind.
The man is a humanitarian at heart. Sanjeev’s brand Wonderchef employs and empowers many women, especially in North India. The business model enables women to become financially independent. Sanjeev also works closely with autistic children and has helped the cause by supporting the NGO Forum for Autism for over 12 years. Under Corporate Social Responsibility, he has taken on the challenge of improving/feeding school meals to children in remote villages and children from economically-weak families. He also works closely with Akshaya Patra – the world’s largest NGO-run mid-day meal programme that serves wholesome school lunches to over 1.8 million children in 14,702 schools across 12 states in India. Sanjeev Kapoor, in collaboration with the HRD ministry, is also on board to structure and design a special menu exclusively for the students of all the 598 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNV) across the country. To develop qualified skills in his chosen field, he started a college in collaboration with Symbiosis University, the first of its kind, by the name of Symbiosis School of Culinary Arts offering a 3-year full-time BSc degree in Culinary Arts. Quite a handful of activities, well done Sanjeev, what goes around comes around, more power to you.
For now, Sanjeev is on a happy whirl. He never complains, suave and charming he just trots on, dividing his time between India and the rest of the world, attending food festivals, giving food demonstrations, picking up international food awards which just happen to come his way! He is just as popular on foreign shores.
Which actually gets me to a point where I must tell you an anecdote on his popularity. Sanjeev is mobbed. Wherever he goes. Whether at dinners, parties for pictures or even just at the airport where random people request him for selfies. Sanjeev never refuses. But he found it most hilarious when a fan once came up to him and told him, “Sir, I must tell you we share something.” Curious, Sanjeev asked him what it was. So the man extends his hand, flips it over and shows him his thumbnail, saying, “We both have identical nails, short and squat,” before Sanjeev could even react, he added, and for good measure, “Actually these kind of nails belong to the hands of murderers!” Oh my gosh! It’s a good thing Sanjeev looks at things with great humour, else there might have been a murder right there!
Well, this way or that, Sanjeev is a popular guy. A brand. He endorses many himself. Products such as Nutralite, Daawat Basmati Rice, Tata Sampann Dals and Masalas, Zydus Cadilla’s Sugar-Free, Ariel among others. He has also granted his franchise for restaurants conceptualised by him – Khazana, The Yellow Chilli - to many companies overseas, as well as in India, situated especially in tier-2 cities. He is now extending his repertoire to new brands, Signature, Sura Vie, Indi under different categories.
Apart from his books, hard copies being most sought-after, his online presence is tremendous. www.sanjeevkapoor.com, his portal has a compendium of more than 15,000 recipes, tried and tested and winsome! A fan page on Facebook, started about 15 years ago, has 8.8 million fans, a channel on YouTube has 7.5 million subscribers with 1.5 billion video views. His Twitter – now X, has 1.9 million followers and Instagram, 1.9 million. Need I say more? The figures can just knock you off.
With this in mind, I throw one parting question at Sanjeev as we are about to conclude our lunch and our conversation, “What gives you the maximum joy today?” He answers in one word, “Life.”
Well, may he continue to bask in the sunshine of life and may we continue to be the beneficiaries of his creative culinary talent.